As I'll Ever Be
by spooky-knight
Summary: Whenever Eric asked Sookie, she always had the same answer. A series of firsts between Eric and Sookie. A flufftastic short that will give you cavities. You have been warned. Rating increased for language and future content.
1. Meet Me in Outer Space

AN: So I realized that Ice & Firelight, much like season 5, is going to take a long time dragging through the drama before the possibility of a happy ending. And like most Americans, I want my happy ending now! So here it is.

Inspired by a shorter interlude in Ice & Firelight, this diversion takes place in the True Blood-verse rather than SVM (if only because I'm less familiar with the books). Any plot points amended from the show are pure convenience. There really is no substance beneath this flight of fantasy.

Rated T for now. For mild suggestive themes but nothing too mature. Rating may change.

**Part One: First Flight**

* * *

_Meet me in outer space_

_I will hold you close_

_If you're afraid of heights _

_I need you to see this place_

_It might be the only way _

_That I can show you how it feels_

_To be inside of you_

* * *

"You can fly?" Sookie asked the first time she saw Eric come down from the sky. The answer seemed obvious but she stared at his hovering moonlit form in wonder, disbelieving her own eyes.

"Yes," Eric answered simply. He landed softly on the grass in front of the old farmhouse and extended his hand to her. "Would you like to join me?"

Sookie was regarding him with extreme interest and Eric wasn't one to pass up an opening when he saw one. Her usual stubbornness was replaced by curiosity and he knew seeing the world from above with him would bring them closer together.

"Join you… up there?" Sookie hedged, pointing upwards. "Is it safe?" she asked.

"I know what you mean, Sookie," Eric replied smoothly. "You are asking if I am going to drop you and the answer is no."

Sookie eyed the starlit sky suspiciously as though it could tell her what she should do. His dramatic entrance was tempting her to forget to ask why he was here. She really should, especially since the last time she saw him he confessed to stealing her house while she was gone. But talking would complicate everything and undoubtedly ruin her night.

She was too tired to argue with him after working an extra shift as a favor for Holly. Eric's outstretched hand was an invitation to forget her real life problems for a little while and step into a dream where handsome supernatural men appeared on her property and flew her away into the night. How many chances could she possibly get to _fly_?

"This doesn't change anything," Sookie touted reluctantly. "Not everyone gets a chance like this but that doesn't mean I accept what you did."

"We'll see," he answered cryptically.

Sookie frowned at his answer but supposed it was the closest to agreement she was ever going to get from Eric. She moved forward and grasped his proffered hand, taking a deep, bracing breath.

Eric just stared at her obstinately. "You're going to have to get closer than_ that_ if we are going anywhere," he told her plainly.

Sookie wasn't sure how thrilled she was at the idea of cuddling up to Eric Northman at this point. However, she saw his logic. She stepped closer and planted her other hand firmly on his shoulder. His arm snaked around her waist and gently pulled her a little closer to him.

Looking down, the waitress softly placed her feet atop his; she figured as a vampire he could handle her weight. In this posture she felt like they could take off dancing in the misty evening under the stars. From deep in her memory, Sookie pictured herself dancing with her feet on her father's toes as a very small girl.

"Are you ready?" Eric asked.

"As I'll ever be," Sookie answered.

She lifted her head to peer up at him with fear and excitement warring in her eyes. Eric flashed his trademark grin and she felt the subtle shift of his body against her. Startled, she grasped his hand and wrapped her arm more tightly around his shoulder. Inwardly, he celebrated the triumph. Was this all it took to have Sookie Stackhouse falling over him?

"Are we going?" Sookie asked nervously. She wanted to do this but the wait was giving her too much time to think and she was having doubts.

"Look around," Eric murmured and it was a deep, low sound.

Sookie craned her neck to see around the wall of his chest and shoulders. They were hovering just a few feet off the ground now and rising slowly into the air. As she saw the ground departing beneath her, she felt the soft breeze against her skin and the heady, weightless feeling of just floating there without touching the ground. She could only compare jumping on a giant trampoline as a child, hovering mid-air, to the feeling she got hovering with Eric now. She pulled a fraction closer to the only thing keeping her from falling to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Eric questioned cautiously. He didn't want to scare her and the _last_ thing he needed was an airsick barmaid losing her dinner all over him.

"Yeah," Sookie breathed, gazing down at the retreating ground in wonder. As they rose higher she turned her head to look down on her home. "Oh, look at the house! It's so beautiful from up here."

Against the shadows of the trees, the lights softly illuminated the glistening white and yellow paint so that the house practically glowed like a golden beacon of comfort and familiarity.

"You must be glad someone cleaned it up," Eric teased with not the first, and surely not the last, winning smirk of the evening.

"You're determined not to let me enjoy this, aren't you?" Sookie snapped dryly.

"On the contrary," Eric argued, dismissing their bantering effortlessly. "Where do you want to go?"

Boy, that was a loaded question. There were so many places she'd like to go, but they were all far and away. Much further than even a flying vampire could travel in one night. Really, the destination did not matter as much as experiencing the magic of flight.

"I don't care," Sookie told him honestly. "Everything looks different from above."

"Hold on," he advised, encasing his tiny half-fairy in strong arms.

Sookie pressed her nose into his chest as they took off, gaining speed and altitude. It was dizzying. She hadn't yet had the chance to ride a roller coaster but she imagined this must be close. Sookie hoped Eric remembered that she needed air.

The waitress didn't dare look down but she chanced a look up at a cloudless sky dotted with stars. They were clearer up here, not dimmed by the constant light pollution of modern times. The black of the sky was darker and each little while light burned that much brighter. Noticing her fascination, Eric looked down and caught her eyes. Blushing, she quickly brought her head down to once again stare into the black expanse of his shirt. The undeniable romance of the whole situation was not lost on her. This was an experience plucked right out of a fairy tale but it was not one she ever thought she would share with Eric of all people.

Still wearing her uniform from work, the scant black shorts and cropped sleeves of her white shirt left more exposed than she would have liked. The rushing air was cold against her skin and she felt the goosebumps rise on her legs and arms. When she shivered lightly, Eric held her that much closer and she nearly laughed at the idea of a vampire providing body heat.

They slowed down and Sookie was grateful for the respite. She wondered how far they had travelled. Eric's eyes were still trained on her, watching and analyzing her reaction.

"The dive where you work," Eric announced suddenly, gesturing below.

"Merlotte's. And it's not a dive," Sookie defended. She pulled away from Eric just a fraction to look down on the familiar bar below. "I can't believe we're here already."

"If you were mine, you would always travel like this," he supplied helpfully.

"Only at night," Sookie pointed out with a wry smile. "And anyway I'm not discussing this with you tonight."

She watched the local drunks she was used to serving smoke and cavort just outside the door. She could hear their bawdy conversation but to her delight she couldn't _hear_ them at all. The distance seemed to dim her telepathic abilities so she could simply watch as a passive observer.

The faint sound of country rock music drifted up each time the door opened. If she really listened, she could only just make out the sounds of her co-workers voices. She recognized Sam yelling at one of his employees, although it could have been anyone really. Lafayette must have been calling out orders as he cooked them. Arlene muttered bitterly under her breath about something or another as she came outside to dump the trash.

Sookie was transfixed, seeing her plain old everyday place of employment transformed.

"Are we going to see Fangtasia too?" she asked suddenly. Sookie wondered if the neon lights lit up the whole sky in Shreveport with a garish red hue. She almost giggled at the thought of Pam standing outside, just a tiny dot far beneath them.

Eric had to take a moment to think on that. It was very intriguing that her thoughts automatically went to _his_ bar. He liked the idea of her intuitively thinking of him. But she was being unusually receptive tonight and although he didn't want it to end, Eric went with the honest answer.

"If we did, I'm not sure I could get you back by dawn," he reasoned simply.

Sookie nodded in understanding. _Maybe next time,_ she thought and then banished that crazy notion away. As if she could afford to spend her nights flying around with a manipulative bastard of a vampire.

"Do you want to see your town?" Eric asked in a measured tone.

"Not really," Sookie replied with conviction.

Eric wasn't surprised. Sookie had a shaky relationship with the residents of Bon Temps. He wondered what he could show her in the time they had left.

"You know where Jason's house is, don't you?" Sookie asked, bringing him back from his thoughts.

_The place where you ran and hid from me_, Eric remembered. But she was being sweet and compliant so he kept his mouth shut and simply nodded.

"Can you take me there?" she requested politely.

Unpretentious, curious, and obedient: his Sookie was full of surprises tonight.

"As you wish," Eric's voice consented and she felt the rumble deep in his chest.

This was probably too close. She was pressed against him again, her body aligned with his and her face pressed safely into the place where his heart would thump if it were beating. Eric gripped her tightly as the air whipped wildly around them.

The wind was so strong her hair came loose from its band, dancing and flowing aimlessly below his face. The scent was strong in the thin night air and its perfume assaulted Eric's senses like a powerful drug. He lowered his head to bury his nose in its fragrant softness, nearly losing sight of where they were headed. The need to claim her was strong and irritatingly distracting. He wanted to stop all of this chasing and eluding nonsense and simply ravage her until the rising of the sun.

Chancing a glance downward, Sookie caught sight of the house where she lived as a young girl.

"We're here," she chirped with growing excitement. "To the left. Over there." She bravely pulled her arm from his shoulder to point away from her childhood home and into the surrounding forest. "Can you get us closer to the trees?"

Curious of her intentions, Eric glided them down toward the tree line. He watched Sookie scan the canopy for some unknown sign or landmark. She leaned too far away from him and pitched backward, losing her precarious balance. She shrieked in pure dread as adrenaline flooded her system and her heart seized with fear. _I'm going to fall. I'm going to fall!_ She thought as panic took over.

Eric easily corrected her stability, drawing her flush against him. He shushed her terror away, stroking her back gently.

"I told you, I won't let you fall," Eric assured her.

Sookie blinked away frightful tears and tried to calm her breathing and her rapid heartbeat. She hugged Eric gratefully. At first he went stiff at the abrupt contact but then he seemed to remember he enjoyed _all_ contact with her, and relaxed into the embrace. After a moment Sookie spotted it in her peripheral vision, a clearing of trees with a dense shadow amid strong branches.

"Down there!" she exclaimed happily and pointed directly at the gap in the forest. "There it is."

Eric's gaze followed her finger and they traveled in its path, descending slowly until their feet touched down in the tall, dewy grass. She really looked up at him for the first time and giggled madly at the untamed state of his hair. Without a word she pulled him down to her and affectionately fixed the errant locks. Entranced, he let her comb delicate fingers through his hair, enjoying the feeling all too much.

Sookie heard a low, soft rumbling sound start deep within Eric's chest, almost like a content purr. The intimacy of their act dawned on her and she awkwardly stepped away.

"That's better," Sookie breathed, pinning her arms to her sides.

She parted from Eric and padded towards a strong, old tree on the edge of the glade.

"We helped our Dad build this tree house," Sookie explained quietly. "I played here with Jason when we were really little. We stopped coming here after... " She let the rest go unsaid.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she studied the leaves above and could just make out the decrepit ruins of solid wooden beams that once formed a playhouse.

"It's not much anymore," she admitted with a tinge of sadness.

She heard Eric come up closely behind her, his long shadow cast over her. She felt like he was trying to decide whether or not to offer her comfort. It was strange and incredible sharing this moment with him in this place so dear to her memory.

The woods provided a symphony of nocturnal sounds; crickets and cicadas chirping, croaking frogs from a nearby stream, and a mockingbird singing to his mate. A waxing moon painted everything in a pale silver light. The world and all its evils were waiting somewhere beyond the trees but in this enclave there was only the moon and stars, a wayward girl, and the vampire who brought her here.

Sookie turned to him and was sure she had something to say but the words died in her throat. He'd never looked at her this way before, with concern and wonder and a longing that was lacking its usual lust and selfishness. It made her heart flutter in cautious optimism and her stomach turn over in skeptical fear. Eric could be a smug bastard, a sarcastic jerk, and a primal killer, but tonight he had proven a worthy protector and an amicable companion. Distantly, Sookie wondered if this was all just another dream.

The waitress stepped toward him and invaded his personal space for a change. He looked down at her warily, as though he was embarrassed to have been caught with such sentimental emotions crossing his face.

"Thank you," she whispered softly.

Sookie rose up on her very tippy toes to place a soft kiss on his lips, just a peck. A small token of thanks for sharing this with her, for behaving, mostly, and in a small way, for remaining a constant, though aggravating, force in her life.

Of course Eric wasn't just going to leave the kiss as an innocent peck.

He took over insistently and it quickly became a heated reprise of the fervent, demanding lip lock they shared a year ago, without the impatient edge of fear and deceit. Eric's fingers threaded through her intoxicating hair and coaxed her to open up to him more deeply with each enticing press of his lips. Every touch and caress grew in intensity and Sookie carefully pulled away with alarming reluctance.

"I need to get home," she said soberly. "And you have to get back before sunrise."

"Of course," Eric agreed, coming back to himself.

This night had cast a captivating spell on him and its unforeseen consequences lingered in his mind. With Sookie already cradled in his arms, Eric lifted them gradually from the enchanted clearing and far above the forest canopy. Way above the earth he gathered his bearings and set a course for the newly renovated Stackhouse homestead.

Feeling strangely comfortable, Sookie rested her head against Eric's shoulder and let herself relax. After a few moments, the exhaustion of the day began to catch up with her and she actually started to drift off. As Eric felt her body slacken, he scooped her up in his arms and let her fall asleep there.

Her hands curled into the fabric of his shirt and the little purring noise she made when she pressed her face into his chest did frightening things to his composure. _She is mine_, he thought, but that statement was beginning to mean more than he ever intended.

* * *

AN: A quick meditation on the first flight. This may have potential for a little more spice in the future, but for now it's just a little light and happy piece of sugar-coated fluff to break up the somber drama going down in the other part of my head. I finished it after a really crummy day and it made me happy, so I hope you enjoy!

A very grateful thanks to beta Sweet Sookie who made all the kick-yourself mistakes go away. If you're ever looking for a beta I give her a gold star of recommendation.


	2. Before the Dawn

AN: Are you ready? There's more!

Nothing but cliches to see here. All that's been done before. But I have admitted this is a light and fluffy tale in contrast to the drama of the other. I might be taking some liberties here, but I guess this is just how I think magic works. Convenient, like the stolen book plot point that Eric is in Sookie's kitchen that night instead of Tara. Why? That's too much embellishment for a superficial flight of fantasy like this...

Bittersweet, like the chocolate I got as an early present. My gift to you: the continuation of "As I'll Ever Be" delivered just before the sun rises on my birthday. I hope you like it!

**Part 2: The First Taste**

* * *

_Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you_

_I am nothing more than to see you there_

_And maybe tonight_

_We'll fly so far away_

_We'll be lost before the dawn_

* * *

"Are you serious?" Sookie asked the first time Eric conceded _anything_ to her.

It was the third time he'd taken a bullet for her. The jagged, grisly buckshot she was currently dislodging from Eric's chest had been meant for Sookie.

"It's not safe for you," Eric explained rationally, wincing almost imperceptibly as she dug the cold tweezers into his flesh and pulled out another scrap of metal. "If this were-bitch could find her way into your house, then vampires will as well. You must own the house to keep them out."

"What about you?" she wondered quietly, only half aware she'd said it aloud. Sookie really should ask him why he was here at all. She never did find out why he showed up at her house last time.

_What about me?_ Eric wondered silently. Sookie had obviously become warmer toward him but was not forthcoming about her intentions. She still had not answered his proposal to claim her as his own. After all they'd shared, she treated him with all the same affection and concern as her friends, but never gave their strange relationship a label.

Neither seemed willing to tackle the subject and Sookie continued her work in silence. She was speeding up his own healing abilities, which seemed overwhelmed by the sheer number of foreign bodies lodged in his pale skin. As she removed each piece the skin closed perfectly over the wound revealing new skin flawless and unmarred by scars or bruises. How lucky to be able to put all this behind him and forget so easily.

This night would stay with her for much longer. Debbie Pelt was dead and now buried somewhere on her property. Eric was kind enough to let her final resting place remain a mystery to Sookie. The werewolf came here at all because she wanted Sookie dead. It was a heavy weight knowing someone hated you so much they wanted to kill you and an even heavier weight knowing you caused their death, even if it was in self-defense.

She was lucky Eric had been there to save her life. In the aftermath of the struggle, he'd chosen to avoid her in favor of cleaning up of the mess. Sookie wasn't surprised he avoided her. She knew he hated to see her cry and she couldn't help the frightened tears that accompanied yet another brush with death. In truth, she was grateful for not having to face another dead body in her kitchen. It was only when Eric returned to her in the living room that she saw the gruesome state of his chest and insisted on helping him heal.

Sookie dug in for a large and particularly deep hunk of buckshot and he grunted at the intrusion. She didn't look up but she was sure he was grimacing. If he was in this much pain, she guessed he hadn't fed yet tonight. Feeling a twinge of guilt that he was wounded on her account, she continued her work as carefully as a surgeon.

"There. All done," Sookie said brightly after the last scrap of metal was removed. She smoothed her hand over the newly healed skin. With her first aid mission finished, Sookie quickly became aware of their proximity. Eric was sitting on the floor with his back propped up against the couch and she was curled up in his lap.

Forcing her mind back to more technical matters, she poked his chest experimentally. In line with her theory, he groaned and visibly cringed. He immediately drew her hand away as though he hoped she hadn't noticed.

"It's healed, but only superficially," Sookie stated matter-of-factly. "You'll need your strength to heal it fully. You need to feed."

"I am fine," Eric retorted, puffing his chest out in pure vampiric pride.

"You lost a lot of blood," Sookie countered. "I know because I saw it on my floor."

"Your TruBlood will do nothing to aid the healing process," Eric explained in an irritated voice. Honestly, did Bill Compton hide everything from this girl?

"I know," Sookie breathed, daring to look up at him. "But there's me."

He stiffened against her suddenly. All the anger and annoyance ran away from his face until it was as expressionless as stone. She heard his fangs appear of their own accord with the unmistakable sound of a weapon being drawn, like a sword being unsheathed. She jolted just a fraction at the noise but kept her stare focused on his eyes.

"Do not say that if you do not mean it," Eric snarled in warning. He did bare his teeth to her then, as if to show her very plainly what she was asking.

"I do mean it," Sookie snapped defiantly. She knew better than to tempt a vampire. By now, he should know she knew better. "You saved my life tonight and for not-the-first-time. You got hurt and I want to help you."

"You never offered to 'help me' before," he reminded her skeptically.

There was a good reason for that. Sookie had never been sure of his intentions. He'd manipulated her in Dallas when he tricked her into drinking his blood. But since then, he'd also done seemingly selfless things for her too. However, the fear was still there. That he would lose control as Bill had in the van and nearly drain her completely. But there was also a fragile trust that she was willing to explore.

A sudden smirk played across Eric's face, "Are you so 'grateful' for me saving your life that you have suddenly decided to yield to me?"

His eyebrows rose suggestively as though he was extremely interested in her answer. Sookie just rolled her eyes. She found it was easier to simply ignore his provocations rather than draw attention to them.

"I'm offering my blood. Just blood," she said simply. "Take it or leave it."

Without delay, Eric lowered his head to her neck and she was aware, once again, of how close they were. It was nothing for him to gather her in his arms and pull her body flush against his. She shuddered in guarded anticipation as his lips gently touched the skin at her throat, taking his time to inhale her scent.

Sookie remembered the look in his eyes before tearing into her in front of Russell Edgington: mournful, full of regret, and almost pleading for her to forgive him. Eric rarely asked for anything, let alone forgiveness. Eric's careful treatment now echoed what he wished his first taste of her could have been.

"Are you ready?" Eric asked her thickly.

"As I'll ever be," Sookie replied shakily.

His mouth licked and sucked teasingly at his desired target. His fingers threaded soothingly into her hair. Sookie was reminded of the false sense of security that vampires projected. Everything was soft and tempting and safe until they bit down.

"Careful," she breathed. She willed her heart to stop hammering in her chest. "I'm trusting you not to lose control."

"I will never betray you," Eric growled, already intoxicated by the scent of her and drunk on the heady impatience of what he was about to do. "Ever," he added, a low guttural sound, as he sank two fangs into her perfect skin.

Sookie winced impulsively at the sting of being pierced. The sharp pain faded swiftly into a dull ache that resembled a sore muscle more than a predator's bite. Eric was drawing blood from her as gracefully and comfortably as he possibly could. Sookie had experienced nurses who had been rougher with only a 5/8" needle and a small syringe.

_I may remind you of that someday,_ Sookie thought to herself, contemplating his vow to never betray her.

Sookie felt the lightheadedness that always accompanied blood loss take over. It wasn't such an unpleasant sensation. She felt almost tipsy. At that first disoriented, dizzy feeling Sookie pitched her weight forward, falling into Eric. His chest rumbled in the happy purr he'd given her when she played with his hair. He disengaged his fangs immediately, certain to keep his promise not to take too much.

"That's all?" Sookie asked, bewildered. He hardly drank from her and now he was done.

"When I return home I will rest," Eric told her calmly, pausing to lick her wound clean. "Tomorrow my strength will be renewed."

"Aren't you staying?" she inquired, disappointment evident in her voice.

Eric pulled back to look at her. He was equally stunned and fascinated by her request. As he caught her eyes he saw they were slightly glazed and he knew it must be an incoherent mixture of shock, exhaustion, and minor blood loss talking. She must not really know what she was asking.

"It will be dawn soon," he answered simply.

"I know. I thought we could… " she trailed off, still unsure if she wanted to voice the ideas of her wild imagination. His icy blue stare was drilling into her as though he could pull the answer out by force.

"I want to thank you," Sookie continued softly. "For everything. I thought if you took enough of my blood, maybe…" she hesitated again, licking suddenly dry lips. "Maybe we could watch the sunrise together."

Eric regarded her with awe. She was offering him a chance to see the last thing his maker saw before his true death… and survive. He debated whether or not he wanted that. Godric was gone. Maybe this was a way to feel closer to him, to greet the dawn with his own eyes.

Eric guessed Godric didn't even register in Sookie's mind when she offered this. She simply wanted to give him the gift of the sun through her blood, willingly this time. That she had forgiven him for all his past deceits enough to offer herself was maddeningly arousing. He wanted to show her his gratitude right there on her living room floor, and in her bedroom, and in the kitchen where this whole night began.

His silent, unwavering stare filled Sookie with doubt and dread. She feared she had overstepped an invisible line. Despite what Eric thought, she remembered the rooftop of the Hotel Carmilla very well and the overwhelming sadness of watching Godric burn seized her chest.

Sookie swallowed nervously, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have - "

She gasped as he latched onto her throat again, pulling blood from the same wounds he had made before. The delirious feeling of being consumed increased until it was almost euphoric. She sighed airily and craned her neck to give him full access. His hands moved against her skin in tender, surprisingly respectful, strokes. His caress effectively distracted her from anything else in the world.

Eric monitored her pulse vigilantly. If he really was going to meet the sun, he was determined to take as much of her into him as possible without endangering or harming her. When he felt it was enough, he pulled away just as gently as before, staunching and finally healing the two punctures.

He didn't move even after he had finished. Dawn was still a little ways off and he was almost completely content to have an ingratiated and appreciative Sookie in his veins and wrapped up in his arms at the same time. There was only one thing in the world that would make it better but there was no time for that tonight.

Sookie remained calm and comfortable in his embrace. Eric delighted in her soft breathing, the even thump of her heartbeat, and the vital warmth that emanated from her body. He was so sure she had drifted off to sleep that he was almost startled when she spoke.

"Do you think it's enough?" she asked hesitantly.

"We will see," he said tentatively. He rested his chin atop of her soft hair. Eric was almost afraid to hope. But then the potent elixir of her blood roared inside him and his confidence was renewed. "I think so," he amended agreeably.

Eric couldn't stop the smile from reaching his face. It may only be a few moments, but he was sure Sookie's mythical blood would allow him to see the sunrise. The effects were already starting, allowing him to win the fight against his nocturnal instincts. The force that compelled him to seek darkness and sleep was a distant hum. He was empowered to stay awake and face the glaring light of day.

"How long?" Sookie probed, knowing his internal clock was far more reliable than her watch.

"Soon," he answered distantly.

She lifted herself up from his chest, her excitement renewing her energy despite having fed a vampire with only a short catnap in his arms for sleep. "Let's go out on the porch," she chirped, a childlike smile curving her lips so wide her bright eyes squinted in pure joy. "We won't be able to see in here."

Eric stood and allowed her to lead him out onto the porch. She settled down on the stairs and eagerly patted the step next to her indicating he should join her. He took a seat on the stair above her and enveloped her in his arms, relishing in the way her breath caught and her heart nearly skipped a beat.

He felt the influence of the same spell cast the night of their first flight. Instead of a moonlit glade, he was sharing the dawn with her but the warm, achingly devoted feelings were the same. If he knew what was good for him, he would have left for Fangtasia after dumping the were-bitch's body. He loathed the thought of Pam seeing him so infatuated but that sentiment was not nearly as strong as the elation he felt when Sookie accepted his embrace, leaning back against him and stroking his arm absently.

Eric followed Sookie's gaze at the horizon. Since they had come outside, the sky had illuminated from nearly black, to deep cobalt, to cerulean blue. The last stars twinkled in the sky. There was still time. If he wanted, he could still make it to ground before the sun made its spectacular appearance. As if sensing his hesitation, Sookie raised her head and flashed him with a hopeful smile. His little fairy was going to be the death of him.

Dawn unfurled agonizingly slow. The blue of the sky above grew impossibly lighter as pale shades of pink, orange, red and yellow painted the horizon. The colors shifted and intensified around a central point, like flames of a distant fire. Gossamer clouds, once white, were set ablaze reflecting the fiery glow.

There was a palpable warmth to the air, too subtle for Sookie to sense, but to Eric it was startling. The air was thicker. Dew evaporated from the grass. The breeze carried the temperate buzz of life awakening to the day. Surrounded by woods, a thousand different bird songs rang out around the house in stereo, uniting and mingling into one twittering melody.

The world filled with daylight before the sun even appeared. Below him, Sookie was growing practically luminescent. The sunshine kissed her hair and skin with burnished gold. He turned slowly in his arms to face him and saw the same brilliant glow in her eyes.

"Are you still feeling okay?" she asked, gracing him with a smile as radiant as her questioning eyes.

Eric simply nodded. He knew the focus of her question was his physical state and so far there was no burning sensation inside or out. Mentally, his current state was a different story. There were no words.

Sookie turned her attention back to the sky, hoping this meant as much to him as it did for her. She couldn't give him the sunrise over the ocean or even over Paris. All she had to offer was the dawn emerging slowly above the trees in boring old Bon Temps. For a vampire who hadn't seen the sun rising in so long, she hoped it was enough.

Without warning, resplendent beams of dazzling orange and yellow glimmered behind the trees announcing the sun's imminent arrival. Eric rose from the stairs and stepped haltingly out onto the lawn.

He watched the sun rise inch by inch above the tree line. The blazing orb ignited the sky anew with garish light_._ It could take him. If he stood here and let it, the sunlight would return Godric to him. Every painful element of his curse, each grievous memory, all of the souls he had lost and taken over his long life would be erased in an instant. No wonder the sun was a vampire's enemy. Her allure was strong.

"Eric," Sookie called to him, softly but firmly.

There was an overwhelming sadness surrounding him like a black aura. He was transfixed, watching the sun ascend higher until it was almost fully visible over the horizon. It would not be long now. Her fairy blood was diluted and she feared how short its effects would last.

"Eric!" She called out to him again, her worry increasing tenfold.

He was so entranced it was frightening. She saw the memories play across his face even though she couldn't read his mind; Godric on the rooftop, Russell outside Fangtasia. He'd lost, or nearly lost, something every time he had battled with the sun.

She didn't see the dreams and possibilities behind his eyes. He needed more time. It wasn't enough to take in all at once. Colors Eric had nearly forgotten, the scent of flowers on a warm breeze, foreign sounds of awakening wildlife, and the light in Sookie's eyes. Before it was over he was already consumed with regret. This was only a small taste of what he was destined to lose.

Faintly, the first traces of smoke started rising from his skin and panic filled Sookie's chest. This was a mistake. She had wanted to share this with him, to show her gratitude, not lead him to his true death.

"Eric, come on," she stepped forward to grab his hand, tugging back toward the house, "You've got to come inside."

He turned to her and she saw bloody tears running down his face. The unexpected display of emotion stopped her in her tracks. Stunned, she watched him watch her for a few tense moments. There just wasn't enough time.

"Cubby. Now!" Sookie yelled urgently. The wind brushed past where he'd just been and she was left alone on the lawn.

Sookie wasted no time in following him, climbing down the ladder into the light-tight space for the first time. She surveyed the room and found it surprisingly modest, just a bed and two tables. Eric was hunched over on the bed looking completely numb. He made no attempt to clean the blood from his face, just stared blankly at the wall.

Empathy welled up in Sookie's heart and her own tears began to fall. She checked over his exposed skin briefly and after finding it unhurt, she plopped down gently beside him on the bed. For a moment she just sat there, unsure of how to offer comfort.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed quietly. "I thought you'd be happy to see the sun again. I don't know why."

Sookie couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks. She was crying for her grief; for losing so many people and being so disconnected from the world that it looked like a 1,000 year old vampire was fast becoming her best friend. And she was crying at his grief; loosing his maker, the most important being in his world. It broke her heart to see Eric, this deadly hunter, reduced to tears beside her.

"Twice," he murmured so softly it was almost inaudible. "Twice I have seen the sun because of you. And I'm still here."

He held his hands out and gazed at them warily as though to prove to himself this was real.

"You're strong. The strongest vampire I know," Sookie said resolutely. She hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks before grasping his shoulders and turning him into a soothing embrace. He let her hold him, offering no resistance.

"I didn't mean to upset you," she admitted sadly.

"Beautiful," Eric sighed airily. "The colors of the dawn. The world bathed in light. The sun in your hair."

He lifted his head to look at her and a full blush spread across her cheeks. A millennia without seeing the dawn and he had been looking at her? It was beyond flattering but Sookie felt somehow unworthy of such attention.

"Then why the tears?" she wondered curiously.

Before she could think, Sookie darted forward and licked the bloody trail of tears from his chin to the top of his cheek. She only wanted to clean him up, heedless of the consequences, to make the evidence of his sadness disappear.

"Careful," he breathed, echoing her words from before. Did she know what she was doing?

It was too late; the damage was already done. Sookie realized the oversight as she felt her mind swirl and her nerve endings sizzle. She had ingested his blood again. It wasn't much, but just a drop was enough to tie him to her. She shrugged inwardly, not nearly as worried as she probably should have been. She had done it before unwillingly. What difference did it make now?

"S'okay," she hummed, giving the other side of his face the same treatment.

She felt the low rumble in his chest as he processed the sweet feeling of her agile tongue and the jumbled emotions that were starting to leak faintly through their renewed attachment. Sookie had sincerely hoped to bring him happiness and was devastated that her actions had renewed his grief. She was willing him to be cheerful again, even if it meant the sarcasm and arrogance returned.

Sookie leaned away afraid she had pushed too far. Eric reached up and cradled her face in his hands, pulling her back down and capturing her lips.

This kiss was far from the impassioned encounter in the forest clearing. Just a slow and lazy slide of lips that was raw and honest and somehow even more stirring than their frenzied kisses before. She'd had a dream like this once but the reality was far superior.

It was a kiss of pure comfort with no ulterior motives. Ironically, for Sookie, it had the opposite effect. She moaned softly into his mouth. Her heart fluttered madly in her chest. Every inch of her skin was set alight with a buzzing desire to be touched. Eric despised showing vulnerability but when his walls came down she craved him all the more. She loved the very part of him that he hated.

Wait - _loved_?

Sookie regretfully pulled away before she let things get out of hand. She placed her now burning skin against his cool forehead as she caught her breath.

"Sleep," she panted. "You'll start bleeding soon and we've cleaned up enough for one night."

"Stay with me," Eric said, somewhere between a request and a command.

Sookie nodded. She had planned on it even before he asked. Just when and how she became so attached to him was something Sookie didn't know. Maybe it was his blood doing its magic charm to entice her to his side. But to leave him now seemed like it would tear her in two.

Eric settled in to the soft fur throw on his bed, pulling her down with him and tangling them together in an inescapable embrace. Sookie let him mold his body into hers and although she was fully clothed she felt curiously naked against his affectionate embrace. He placed an adoring kiss to her hairline and she trembled. Unguarded Eric was going to be the death of her.

"Thank you," he whispered serenely into her hair.

His limbs were growing heavy and Sookie could tell the pull of sleep was taking over. In his last waking moments, he nestled her effortlessly into his towering form. His words from what seemed like eons ago echoed in her head:

_"When Bill first declared you his, how did it make you feel?" _Angry, she had told him. _"But safe."_

Eric was wrong. Belonging to Bill made her feel loved and needed, but never really safe. When she was with Bill, she didn't know what was out there for her to fear. Entwined with Eric's body now, alone and removed from the rest of the world, she felt sheltered and protected. Unconsciously, she snuggled into him just a little bit closer.

"Mine," Eric breathed just before his muscles slackened completely and he died for the day.

Placing a chaste kiss to his fully healed chest, Sookie offered no agreement.

Nor did she correct him.

* * *

AN: Props to my hubby for the assist, telling me to "remember, the dawn creeps along slowly, until the sun appears as if by surprise." Same husband has issued a story challenge to me that you may see someday.

Thank you to kick-ass beta Sweet Sookie for cleaning this up. You are awesome.


End file.
